Reconstruction after traumatic injury was once limited to surgery, but today the field is growing to include multiple new disciplines. Revolution in military affairs must be accompanied by a corresponding evolution in medical response. Today, for example, we must develop reconstruction strategies for the polytrauma cases seen in current wars, which involve multiple areas of the body injured by blast or explosion. Present care is limited by technologies and techniques. This talk explores the potential for robotics (prosthetics), transplantation (face), and regeneration (skin, muscle, nerve) to greatly expand the options for treating war wounds, as well as the role of simulation in getting us there.

About the Speaker

Dr. Joseph Rosen is a professor of surgery at DHMC in the division of Plastic Surgery and an adjunct associate professor at the Thayer School of Engineering, where he teaches Engs05 and Engs13 for undergraduates. His interests span from biomedical engineering to biological warfare. For the past 15 years, Dr. Rosen has acted as a consultant for the defense department. He has chaired a panel to review how we respond to blast injuries in the battlefield and how we can improve the medical response and treatment. Presently, Dr. Rosen is part of a consortium evaluating how regenerative medicine and transplantation can be used to restore wounded warriors to functional independence. He is also the chair of an ad hoc committee for virtual reality and training for AACPS. Additionally, Dr. Rosen has been involved in relief work internationally for the past 30 years - most recently in Vietnam where he and his team treat children with congenital and traumatic deformities.